Fairmont, West Virginia - Sherry Vincent McDowell lost her battle with cancer on April 24, 2025. She was 64 years old. Sherry was born in Fairmont, West Virginia on August 9, 1960, and grew up on Grassy Run Road. She graduated from East Fairmont High School in 1978 and from Fairmont State College in 1982. During her high school and college years, she was a fixture at Warehouse Grocery working in the checkout lanes and in the office. After earning her B.S. degree, she moved to Asheville, North Carolina to pursue career opportunities. In early 1990, her long-time friendship with Thomas McDowell blossomed into romance. This loving relationship would last for the remaining 35 years of her life. Shortly after the two were married in Charlotte, North Carolina, they moved back to Fairmont. After a few odd jobs, Sherry began her 25-year career collecting and analyzing crime data for the FBI. She retired from the Bureau in 2020.

Shery and Tom loved hiking and sightseeing, and the pair logged many miles in the Appalachian Mountains, the Rocky Mountains, and numerous National and State parks across New England, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and California. They also took remarkable vacations to Canada, France, and Italy to name a few. While they were dating, Tom introduced Sherry to Indy Car racing. Over the years, the two attended a dozen or so Indianapolis 500 races. Sherry and Tom were also avid fans of West Virginia University football, and they hosted scores of memorable tailgate parties at Mountaineer Field. Let's Go Mountaineers!

Sherry was a talented quilter and weaver, and she left behind many extraordinary pieces. During spring and summer, Sherry could be found in her vast flower beds. Her perennial beds, fern patches, and ornamental trees and shrubs will brighten the McDowell homestead for decades.

Sherry was preceded in death by her father, Dale Clayton Vincent and her mother-in-law, Emily Snider McDowell, both of Fairmont. In addition to her husband, Tom, she is survived by her mother, Elizabeth Jane (Heck) Vincent, her brothers William Dale Vincent and Michael Alan Vincent, her father-in-law Murvyn Morgan McDowell (all of Fairmont), and her sister-in-law, Lea McDowell Cloyd (Jimmy) of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

In keeping with her wishes, Sherry's remains have been donated to the WVU School of Medicine Human Gift Registry. No services are planned at this time.